Hair Color Specialist Career Information

Cosmetology Career Paths > Hair Color Specialist Career Information

Hair color specialists are licensed cosmetologists who specialize in altering the hair color of their clients. As a hair color specialist you would have gained additional training in the field of hair color and continually work to perfect your craft. Being a hair color specialist is no easy task, as it requires a great knowledge of hair chemistry and product knowledge. Hair color specialist require great communication skills as you must be able to effectively communicate end results with clients and set reasonable expectations.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Hair coloring 
• Formulating hair color
• Hair styling
• Sanitation 
• Attend additional training classes

Salary & Pay scale information

Hair color services are a very lucrative service. Due to this, you will have the opportunity to make an affordable living for yourself. However, being a hair colorist requires great efforts in marketing, to ensure you have a steady clientele base. Depending on your choice in location, you will be paid in one of 3 ways: Commission, Booth/Suite rental or Hourly.

Glassdoor.com reports an estimated total pay of $69,274 per year in the united states on average for hair color specialists..

Education Requirements

A state cosmetology license is required in order to be a hair color specialist. All states require a minimum amount of hours in school to gain license for that state. As a hair color specialist, you will have to attend various continued education classes to advance your knowledge in hair color techniques and formulating.

Key skills

• Good communicator
• Multi-Tasking
• Personable
• Superb customer service
• Outgoing
• Great Listener
• Excitement for hair color and the industry

Outlook

Overall employment of barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 85,300 openings for barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Environment

A hair colorist could work in a number of environments.  Included but not limited to:

• Salon
• Spa
• Private suite
• Per state guidelines, you could have a mobile business
• Hotels/resort/cruises

Schedule

Scheduling is flexible as a hair colorist. If you have obtained a title of hair colorist, you most likely have been in the industry for some time. This will allow you even more opportunity to create your own schedule and schedule your clients around that.